Mount Fernie Sunset HDR

fokker · Feb 15, 2012

Haven't done any landscape shots for ages as I've been waiting for a new tripod. It still hasn't arrived but I was bored last night and there was a nice sunset so I dusted off the broken gorillapod and cursed and swore at its general ineffectiveness, before taking a few photos including this one, which is three shots bracketed and processed in photomatix.
I was going for a dramatic but not over-the-top look, did I achieve it?

fokker · Feb 16, 2012

No comments??

Majeed Badizadegan · Feb 16, 2012

I like the lighting at the scene. It seems a little bit on the dark side.

Bump the overall exposure a bit

Majeed Badizadegan · Feb 16, 2012

Here's a quick and dirty edit. Looks like you have some dust on your sensor:

White balance adjustments and exposure bump.

Frequency · Feb 17, 2012

Bizarre and Beautiful...lovely colors

Beast95 · Feb 17, 2012

I love the original because the light sky and the dark ground give it feeling and the ground has a warm tint to it... It's different, it's interesting. Great job

fokker · Feb 17, 2012

Rotanimod - I spent a long time editing this picture, and although I was going for a darker look I may have made it too dark - looking back at it now with a fresh pair of eyes. I do think though that your edit is too far in the other direction and it loses some of what (I think) makes the picture special.

Sebastian_Riel · Feb 20, 2012

Rotanimod said:
Here's a quick and dirty edit. Looks like you have some dust on your sensor:

White balance adjustments and exposure bump.

Plus 1 for the edit; much better. The wb was too harsh and warm imho.

MReid · Feb 20, 2012

Looks pretty good, as mentioned some dust spots.
Crop the bottom to just under the rock.
A light dodge to the darker areas and to brighten the lake ice just a smidge.

You subdued the HDR well...most HDR's I see look like *&%$!

tirediron · Feb 20, 2012

fokker said:
No comments??

Nice shot. Where were you when you took this?

Joel_W · Feb 20, 2012

I really like Rotanimod's edit as the better of the two. The original picture looks under exposed.

Bossy · Feb 20, 2012

I love the original. Its not supposed to be super bright, the sun is behind the mountain. Its got great dimension, and is really just gorgeous.

fokker · Feb 20, 2012

tirediron said:
fokker said:

No comments??

Click to expand...

Nice shot. Where were you when you took this?

Thanks, this is in Fernie, BC.

To the people saying this is underexposed and too warm, yes I agree it is both those things, technically, but I just like it that way better. Sometimes under a golden sky snow takes on a yellow tint in real life, correcting white balance back to the point where the snow is perfectly white no longer renders the scene as it was seen when the picture was shot.

tirediron · Feb 20, 2012

fokker said:
Thanks, this is in Fernie, BC...

Got that from the "Mount Fernie" in the title

I meant where in the valley were you to get that perspective.

Beast95 · Feb 20, 2012

no one here realizes that it is supposed to be dark.. the sun isnt high in the sky. It isn't overdone or over edited, and it feels like im looking at it with my own eyes; Which is exactly what HDR is supposed to do in the first place.... not look unreal like most. This is one of the best ive seen.

Also, it is art... you want it dark, you leave it dark. i like it dark, but you do whatever you want with it. Be open to suggestions, of course, but ultimately it is your decision in the end.

PS, you'd be happy to know that this is now my desktop background.